Please read FAQ for online appointments before following the above link to book an appointment.

Appointments made with inappropriate clinicians will not be seen and will have to be re-booked.

Appointments

 We run all our surgeries by an appointment only system. Appointments can be booked by telephoning the surgery or in person at reception. We try to make sure you see the doctor of your choice but if they are not available we may ask you to see another doctor.

The practice operates an appointment system designed to enable patients to access health provision more easily. You will therefore be asked to provide the following  information when contacting the surgery for an appointment:-

• Some information relating to the problem
• Your preferred day and time
• Any preference for children

This basic information is not meant to be intrusive but will enable the staff to provide you with the appropriate method of dealing with your enquiry.

Patients contacting the surgery in need of same day treatment may be triaged by the  duty  doctor.

Please note routine appointments are 10 minutes each. If you have more than one problem to discuss with the GP please explain this when you make the appointment and ask for a double appointment  slot.

Evening Appointments

From 6th November 2017 we are able to offer appointments from 6.30pm to 8pm Monday to Friday at (Station Road Surgery, Sowerby Bridge, HX6 3Ab). Please speak to one of our Receptionists for more details. 

Please note these appointments are not available online at the current time.

If you have booked one of these appointments and no longer need it, please contact us during our opening hours to cancel it or alternatively call 01422 893394 from 6.30pm to 8pm Monday to Friday only.

This Surgery is now part of the PENNINE GP ALLIANCE IMPROVED ACCESS SERVICE for SOUTH HALIFAX

To make an appointment contact us during our usual opening times

The Improved Access Hub is provides at Station Road Surgery and is open from:

• 18.30 until 20.00 on Monday to Fridays
• 10.00 until 14.00 on Saturday and Sundays
• 10.00 until 11.30 on Bank Holidays

Chaperones

On arrival please let reception know if you require a chaperone to accompany you to your consultation with a clinician. Occasionally your GP may also request a chaperone to attend your consultation.

Telephone Appointments

If you wish to speak to a GP you can book a telephone appointment. The GPs will  usually contact you between morning and afternoon surgery. If you are unable to get a suitable  appointment with a GP the staff will take details from you and on your behalf, will ask the GP to provide a response to your enquiry. The member of staff will then  relay this information back to you.

If you make a telephone appointment please ensure you will be available between 11:30 and 15:30 when the GP calls you and that we have a correct telephone number.

Please note telephone calls may be recorded for quality purposes.

Text Messaging

A text messaging service. This service is essentially used to remind patients of appointments they have booked (But must not wholly rely on) but it may also be used to communicate other information  (e g. dates of flu clinics; reminder that their annual review is due). It is assumed that patients who have given their mobile number to the practice are happy to be contacted on this number and will automatically be registered to  receive information by text messaging. Any patients who do not wish to be sent text messages must contact the surgery to ‘opt out’ of this service.

It is crucial that patients participating in the text messaging service ensure that the  practice is informed of any changes to the mobile they wish to be contacted on.

Late Arrivals

 If you arrive late but have not missed your allotted slot as your GPs surgery is also  behind time you may still be seen. However, if you are more than 15 minutes late or you have missed your allotted slot, you will be asked to rebook your appointment. Patients who are persistently late will be contacted by the practice manager to discuss the situation.

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason, you must  inform the practice as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

Missed Appointments

Missed appointments are of grave concern to the practice as they have a serious  adverse effect on the standard of care we give to our  patients. In an effort to address this  problem, anyone missing an appointment will be advised in writing. Those who repeatedly miss appointments will be asked to leave the practice. This policy has been agreed with the Patient Reference Group

Change of Patient Details

If your change your address, telephone number or name please complete the change of details form and send or hand in to the surgery

change of Patient details .pdf

What appointments are not appropriate for a GP/ Nurse Practitioner?

It is not appropriate to see GP/Nurse Practitioner for the following:

• Blood Tests (These should only be booked with Health Care assistant and are available online)
• Health checks
• annual reviews
• Travel advice / Vaccinations
• Smears / swabs
• Routine blood pressure check
• Contraception/Pill check - Use our Drop in clinic every Monday 3-5pm

If you have any of the above, please contact the surgery to book an appointment with the Nurse or Health Care Assistant.

When is it appropriate to see the Nurse Practitioner?

The Nurse Practitioner runs a minor ailment clinic every morning. This is a deal with acute minor illnesses. To allow this minor ailment clinic to run effectively only ONE acute problem can be dealt with during this appointment.

Why can't I book with the Nurse / Health Care Assistant?

Nurse/Health Care Assistant appointment duration varies depending on the conditions/treatment. These can vary from 10-40 minutes. Therefore we require you to call the surgery to book the appropriate appointment with one of our receptionists.

I have more than one problem, can I book online?

In order to provide you with the best care, we require all patients with more than one problem to book a double appointment by ringing the surgery. Please note if you book an appointment online, only one problem will be dealt with.

Why can't I see the Doctor of my choice?

Please see 'opening times' tab that shows which days each GP works. Please note that the GP may be on call and therefore not available for routine appointments.

How do I book a routine appointment?

Appointments become available on a daily basis. These are staggered over a four week period to allow appointments that are needed over the next few days to weeks.

If you require a routine appointment and this is not available when you check online/ring the surgery, please try again as these may become available later.

I cannot attend my appointment, how can I cancel it?

It is really important that you cancel your appointment as soon as you can; it is never too late as these appointments can be used for other patients. You can call the surgery or cancel online.

Repeated failure to notify us may result in you being asked to leave the practice. (Please see Appointments- missed appointments).

Why am I asked what the problem is when booking an appointment?

For you to be given the appropriate appointment it is important to ask the nature of the problem. This is to avoid you being booked with the wrong type of clinician and wasting your time.

Please note all our staff are trained and work to NHS confidentiality protocols.

Minor Ailments Clinic

Our Nurse Practitioner runs a minor ailment clinic in the morning. If you have a single, acute minor illness it would be appropriate for you to book an appointment online or by telephone. There are appointments available on a daily basis and can be booked for the following day.

Please be aware you can see the Pharmacist for minor ailments as part of the minor ailment service. If after consultation with the Pharmacist you require any medicines these will be provided free if you do not pay for your prescriptions. Please collect an Access card from surgery.

Please see 'Choose Well section' for a list of conditions which are suitable for the Minor Ailment Clinic.

Change of Patient Details

If your change your address, telephone number or name please complete the change of details form and send or hand in to the surgery

Change of Patient details .pdf

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 11:00.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced)

NHS SERVICES EXPLAINED

Military Veterans

If you have been a member of the armed forces for more than one day please tell you're GP; you may be entitiled to priorIty NHS treatment!

Carers

If you are a carer who looks after someone who is ill, frail, disabled or mentally ill ask for a carers identification and referral form, which you can complete to let us know about your caring responsibilities.